Heating device



May 18, 1943.

w. L MAYNE HEATING DEVICE lFiled oct. s. 195s 2 Sheets-Shget 2 l INV ENTOR. l WaLZ'erA/Iayn e.

r w .filiali ATTORNEYJ.

Patented May 18, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEATING DEVICE Walter L. Mayne, Cincinnati, Ohio 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to heating devices and has for an objectthe provision of a Yoom heater which is constructed of sheet metal andin which all heating surfaces are prime heat- 'ng surfaces. Anotherobject of the invention is to provide g heater in the nature of radiatorfor warm wa- -ten vapor, or steam heating systems, wherein the front ofthe room heater provides a source of radiant heat at all times While theremaining heating sections of the device are operative as convectorheaters and only at such intervals as are necessary to supply a demandfor heat.

A further object of the invention is to provide heaters of the typereferred to and wherein the pressure of thermal circulation is effectiveat all times through the front po-rtion of the heater and wherein a pumpor forced circulator operated by means under the control of a roomthermostat serves to supply forced circulation through the convectorportion of the heaters without the necessity for mechanical operation ofvalves or other mechanism.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a heater of the classdescribed wherein a hollow front panel serves, at the same time, as asource of predominately radiant heat and a cover and closure for theheater element.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a heater of theclass described which is adapted for partial or complete recessed wallmounting as well as a free-standing heating unit.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a heating unitemploying media such as warm water, vapor or steam with a hollow frontpanel for constant radiant heat and a series of convector unitsconcealed thereby and an orificed header tube in constant communicationwith said panel and convector units and so designed that thermalcirculation occurs in the hollow panel and not in the convector and whenforced circulation is rendered operative in the supply line, theconvector units are automatically supplied with circulating heat mediumin order that the room air may be heated by convection.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein anddisclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an encased heater embodying theinvention, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a View taken on line 2--2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Application October 3, 1938, Serial No. 232,951

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an oriced tube forming a detail oftheinvention.

Fig. 6 is a View taken on line 6-.6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view taken on line 'I-'I of Fig. 5.

The present day trend in the direction of the disposition of heaters,and particularly radiators in wall recesses has become firmlyestablished. The disposition of radiators of the old known type behind agrille or closing panel results in nearly a complete loss of thepredominately radiant heat from such devices and the tendency to offsetthe loss in efficiency by increased area is in itself an extravaganceand it furthermore contributes to the inconvenience and discomfortexperienced by the lWell-known heat over-run alternated with a sense ofexcessive cooling which is experienced with the present day completelyautomatic heating systems. The present invention seeks to obviate thedisadvantages just enumerated and to provide practically perfectoperation under all conditions during the heating season, utilizing, forthe accomplishment of this, relatively inexpensive sheetA metal Yroomheating devices and an appreciably simplified automatic heatingplant. The heating devices are so constructed with a self containedsupply column and adjustable supply header that they function atincreased eiciency as ordinary radiators in a system which is notautomatic.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly Figs. 1 and 2, theheating unit of the invention comprises a suitably constructed sheetmetal casing including a top wall I5, end walls I6, rear wall I'I, and ahollow panel indicated generally as I8 and which partially closes thefront of the casing. .The hollow front wall I8 is formed by a frontsheet I9 and a rear sheet 2li each having, in its upper part;arectangular opening. The edges of said openings are `connected, to theedges of a1 bounding wall 2I,': thevertical `portions of which areprovided withA apertures receiving the opposite ends of a plurality ofspaced apart tubes 22 which form a grille for the air outlet aperture 23which is bounded by said wall ZI. The front sheet I9 of hollow panel I8is extended downwardly to the floor .level as Lat 24 and connects withthe opposite sidewalls I6 Yof the casing. The bottom wall 25, of hollowpanel I8 closes the space between sheets I9 and 20 which are otherwiseclosed by top wall I5 and end walls I6. From the foregoing, and as shownin Fig. l3, it will be seen that walls I9 and 2U forma top horizontal owchannel 26 above .aperture 23 and another flow channel 2'I below saidaperture; The material of sheets I9 and 20 is corrugated or formed bybringing together the sheets at suitable intervals and welding them orotherwise securing them as at 28 thus forming between them a series orvertical flow tubes 29 which communicate at their tops with channel 21and at their bottoms with still another horizontal flow channel 30.

As shown in dotted lines in l a supply column is formed integrallywithin the hollow panel I3 by providing an interior wall 3| which formssubstantially a continuation of the lefthand vertical portion of wall2I, this wall 3I being continued below the level of bottom wall 25 ofpanel I8. The back sheet 2l) of the panel is likewise continued for adistance below the bottom wall 25 and which, together with end wall I6,front wall portion 24 and the inserted wall 3l, form a closed bottom forthe supply column. This projecting portion of the supply coulmn has asuitable elbow welded thereto to which a shutoff valve 32 communicatingwith supply pipe 10 is connected. The top of the supply column is closedby a small inserted piece 33 having a small oriiice 34 which establishescommunication between the vertical supply column and the top horizontalflow channel 26. Pipes 22 provide communication between the supplycolumn and the vertical right hand flow channel of the front hollowpanel I3. A baille plate 35 extends diagonally across the said verticalflow channel and its purpose is to direct descending `fluidshorizontally across ilow channel 21 so that the fluids may descendthrough the vertical tubes or ways 29 formed by the corrugations in thehollow panel. A return header 36 communieating with discharge pipe 12has a piped connection 31 in the bottom wall 25 of the hollow panel.Parallel to and disposed behind the front bottom thereof surroundingwhich orifices the several convector units have a welded connection.Rotatably adjustable within the outer tube 4I is an inner tube 44 whichhas an annular series of orices 45, 45, 41 and 48 each of a differentdiameter and any one of which in a given series may be brought intoregistry with a corresponding oriiice 43 in the outer header tube 42 byrotatable adjustment of the inner tube (see Fig. 7).

.. The portions of the tubes 42 and 44 which traverse the verticalsupply column have enlarged slots 43 and 59 which are so proportionedthat the free ow of fluid from the supply column into l the supplyheader and also into the top of said panel I8 are convectcr units 38which are welded or otherwise secured to the return header 36 and whichhave outlets 360 communicating with said return header. The convectcrunits may be of any suitable number depending upon the size and capacity'desired in the particular heating unit. In the present illustration theconvectcr units are three in number. As can be readily seen at the righthand side of Fig. 1, the convectcr units are of .a height substantiallyequaling the lower continuous panel portion of the front closing panel.portion I8, i. e., they are generally similar save for the upperaperture and its 'framing 'in Vthe front panel I8. These convector units38 each have an upper-now channel 39 corresponding 'to 'the How channel21 of the iront panel, and a lower horizontal ow channel 40,correspondirlg to the bottom flow channel 3U of said front panel. At theleft hand side of the heating unit is a horizontal supply headerindicated generally at 4l andwhich is shown in enlarged detail in Fig.5. This supply header provides constant communication between theinterior of the supply column and the inside o'f said supply header andthe convectcr units 33 have constant 'communication therewith. Thehorizontal supply header is so designed as to provide unrestrictedcommunication between it and the supply column and to enable theselective adjustment of the header from the exterior of the heatingdevice in order to provide selected sizes of restricted communicatingorices between the respective convectcr units and said supply header.This is accomplished in the following manner. The supply header '4I ismade up of an outer tube 42 which has a relatively large orifice `43 'atpoints along Athe supply column can never be materially restricted. TheVinner .tube 44 has an angular protruding head 5I with slots 52 and 53crossing each other and forming indicators for the location of the linesf perforations on the inner tube. By adjusting head I angularly todispose a selected slot, indexed as A, B, C or D to a downward verticaldirection, the installer will know that he has disposed the selected rowof perforations 45, 46, 41 or 48 in registry with the orices 43. Thetubes comprising the horizontal supply header are Xed in the heater andheld in adjusted position bymeans of lock nuts 54 and 55 together withsuitable packing. Preferably the outer tube of the supply header has awasher 56 welded thereon in order to simplify the welding thereof to thehollow panel.

In the operation of the heating unit of the -invention as an ordinaryradiator, i. e., when the heaters are connected in an ordinary warmwater, steam, or vapor system, the adjustable supply header would beadjusted to bring the largest orifices 48 into registry with theorifices 43 so that a full flow of the heating medium would take placethrough 'both the hollow front panel I8 and through each of theconvectcr units 3B. The thermal flow of the heating medium is asfollows: The heating medium flows upward through the supply column andinto the top cross now channel by way of orifice 34 of the hollow panel'and across tc the right-hand side thereof. At the same time the heatingmedium flows through the several pipes or tubes 22 which span theopening 23 in the panel and this heatingV medium also empties into theright hand side 'of the hollow panel. The heating medium then descendstothe level of cross now channel 21 and it is directed in asubstantially horizontal flow by the baffle 35. The heat medium thendescends through the vertical tubes 29 and into the `bottom horizontalchannel from which it ows in the opposite direction through the outletpipe 31 into the return header 36. At Vthe same time the supply header4I delivers heating medium into the top left hand end of each of theconvectcr .units 38 and the heating medium ilows across andA downthrough the vertical tubes of the convectcr units to the bottomhorizontal channels thereof Vfrom whence it flows out through returnheader 36. It should be here noted that the 'convectcr units 33 functionessentially to heat the air vof the room by convection, and that the airto be 'heated enters through the bottom opening or aperture of thefro-nt panel Vand wipes or scrubs 'over the prime heating surfacespresented vby the rear face of the 'closurep'anel I8 and the front andrear faces `of each of the convectcr units 38 and is discharged throughthe spaces between the tubes 22 in the upper aperture '243 of the frontpanel. vThe tubes, forming the grille Vin aperture 23, are Aofthemselves also kprime heating surfaces and are particularly effectivein quickly inducing the air ow throughthe device. The term. primeheating surfaces is herein used vto denote surfaces of metal which aredirectly contacted on one face by the heating medium. The devices of theinvention comprise substantially all prime `heating surfaces andsubstantially no .extended surfaces, such as ns or AStoker, gas burnersor oil burners, etc., governed by automatic devices such as aquastats orpressurestats iin such fashion as to maintain an ade- Tquate supply ofthe heating'medium at all times. Such systems also include means underthe control of a room thermostat to provide increased rate ofcirculation `of the heating medium Lloy vforced circulation with a pump,in the case of a warm water heating system or by the automaticadjustment of pressure control valves in the case of steam or vaporheating systems.

The heating devices of the invention, when utilized in automaticsystems, as hereinbefore referred to, Will be initially adjusted byturning the angular head of the horizontal supply header 4I to effectregistry of one of the series of smaller orifices 4l, 45, or 45 in innertube M with the series of orices 43 in the outer tube 4.2.` The seriesof orifices selected would .be such that the pressure due to theoperation of the water pump or the higher pressure supplied by automaticcontrol valves of the system will drive the heating `medium through therestricted orifices, while the vlesser pressure in the system, viz.,when the pump is at rest or the high pressure controls are shut o, isinsufficient to pass the heating medium through the restricted orifices.At all times, however, any gravity ow or thermal circulation of theheating medium will readily flow through the channels and tubes of thepanel I8 by way of the supply column because the enlarged slots 49 and50 of the outer and inner tubes of the supply header oifer noresistanceto thermal circulation at the intersection of the. supplycolumn and the supply header in front panel I8. The enclosing panel I8and its concealing grille tubes 22 will therefore at all timesconstitute prime heating surfaces sending out essentially radiant heatinto the room, and afford the occupants of the room a sense ofcomfortable warmth. This supplies sufcient heat to the room in milderseasons to maintain the temperature for which the room thermostat isset.

The arrangement and functioning' hereinbefore described affords anopportunity to provide adequate heat and comfort in a most efcient andeconomical fashion and particularly does it avoid the objectionableoccurrence of alternate heat over-runs and periods of perceptiblechilling in the room.

The electrical circuit in Fig. 9 consists of a hot side supply line 88which -connects to one terminal of low pressurestat 18 and to conductor89 which connects to one side of room thermostat 1-9 which is of linevoltage type. Firing deits vice 16 is connected to the remainingterminal of pressurestat 'I8 by conductor l9i). rlhe remaining terminalof the firing device 'I6-is connected to return supply line 19|. Highpressurestat l1 has one terminal connected to room thermostat 19 byconductor 92, and the other terminal is connected to the firing deviceby conductors 93-90. The operation of the high and low pressurestatswill :beunderstood readily. The thermostat closes on heat demand in theroom, and the firing device operates under the control of highpressurestat TI. When the room ternperature demand is satisfied thethermostat breaks the circuit and the firing device operates to maintaina suitable low pressure under the control of pressurestat 18.

It will be understood that the adjustment of the supply header tubeorifices is provided in order to enable the installing contractor toinitially adapt each heating device to the particular system and dutyimposed upon it so that identical structures may be utilized to serve avariety of requirements in a number of different systems employin-gfluid heating media. After `bein-g once properly adjusted in the systemthere is no further need for changing the orice setting in the supplyheader.

At the top of th-e front face of the hollow closure panel a tapped holeT is provided into which la suitable venting valve (not shown) isinserted. This arrangement permits the convector units as Well as thehollow radiator panel to be relieved of any entrapped air because theair can pass through the top of the `convector units-through the supplyheader and upwardly through the supply column into the top of the panel:

While the devices of the invention are of exceptionally high eiciencybecause of the automatic self-accommodation to heat demands in aparticular system, it willkbe understood that the selective modificationof the output of predominately radiant heat or combined radiant andconvected heat may be attained through the manual control of the boileroutput pressures in the system.

While the heating units of the invention are, by preference, formed ofsheet metal in order to reduce the ratio of heat output to metalpoundage, the devices are no t limited to the particular constructionherein described. lThe devices may loe otherwise constructed, forexample, they may embody predominately cast metal constructionlparticularly if space andl design are of no` vital consequence.

What is claimed is:

1. A heating unit comprising a front hollow closed panel including meansto space the base thereof from a flow surface and having a warm airoutlet aperture adjacent the top, the body of the panel intermediatesaid aperture and said base being corrugated to form vertical passagesand communicating horizontal top and bottom transverse flow channels, awall disposed interiorly of said hollow panel at one side of saidcorrugations and forming a supply column, tubular members spanning theaperture in the panel and providing communication between said columnand the opposite side of said panel, and a baille in the panel on theside opposite said supply column and below the aperture.

2. A heating unit comprising a hollow panel adapted to serve as aclosure for a wall recess, a plurality of convector units disposed inspaced parallel relation behind said hollow panel, a supply headerhaving open and free communication -with the upper part of said hollowpanel and further having restricted communication with each of saidconvector units, said supply header connectible to a source offluid-heating medium, the hollow panel receiving a circulating supply ofiluid heating medium under substantially all conditions of its connectedsource, said convector units being inoperative when the pressure of thesource is insufficient to pass the fluid heating medium through therestricted communication from the supply header.

3. A room heater for mounting in a wall recess comprising a metalliccasing, a hollow closure panel forming the front of said casing andhaving an upper aperture, a vertical supply column formed at one side ofsaid panel the bottom of said panel being spaced from the bottom of saidcasing, a tubular supply header projecting through said panel incommunicating relation :e

with the supply column and having restricted orifices in spaced-apartrelation within the casing, and convector units disposed in the `casingbehind said panel and communicating at one end thereof with saidrestricted orices, and a return header in open communication with theopposite ends of said convector units and said panel.

4. The combination with a radiator and convector heater of a supplydistributor therefor comprising a tubular member closed at one end andhaving a series of aligned perforations in the wall thereof, a secondtubular member rotatable within the nist-mentioned member and havingannular series of lspaced orices of graduated size registerable with theperforations in said tubular casing upon rotation of the inner tubularmember relative to said casing, said tubular linembers provided adjacentone end with a plurality of enlarged openings in constant anduncontrolled registiy and aiording unimpeded fluid ilow diametricallyacross the interior of said Yend of the distributor in all positions ofsaid second tubular member said enlarged openings ao'rding communicationwith the radiator, said orifices of graduated size controllingcommunication with the respective portions of the convector.

5. .A space heating device comprising a hollow panel having aself-contained vertical supply column at one side thereof, a horizontalsupply` header traversing said column near the top and communicatingtherewith, hollow convector units arranged behind the panel in spacedrelation and having communicating connection at their tops with the saidsupply header, and a return header connecting with said panel and saidconvector units at the bottom thereof.

6. A space heating device comprising a hollow panel having aself-contained vertical supply column at one side thereof, and a venttap opening at the other side at the top thereof, a horizontal supplyheader traversing said column near the top `and communicating therewith,hollow 'convector units arranged behind the panel in' spaced relationand having communicating connection at their tops with the said supplyheader, and a return header connecting with said panel and saidconvector units at the bottom thereof, the vent tap opening in the paneladapted for the reception of a Venting valve whereby the con- Vectorsand panel may be vented` 7. A heating unit comprising a uid tight hollowpanel having an opening therethrough adjacent the top, an interior walldefining within one hollcw end of the panel a supply column exterflngfrom the base of the panel to the top le' ci :.aid opening, saidstructure affording a to 1r :ss-flow channel in the panel communicat-Yith the top of the supply column, said panel having a verticalflowchannel communicating with the opposite end of said cross-flow channeland disposed at the side of said panel opposite said supply column, abaille in the hollow panel beneath said vertical ow channel fordirecting f a now of fluid transversely across the panel beneath thesaid opening, said panel formed with a cross-flow channel beneath theopening for receiving the said cross-flow from the baffle and beingfurther provided at the base thereof with still another cross-owchannel,said panel intermediate the last mentioned two cross-flow channels beingformed into a series of Vertical passages connecting the said twocross-ow channels, and hollow horizontal grill-forming memberstraversing the said opening and communieating at opposite ends with thesupply column and said vertical ow channel.

8. A space heating device comprising a hollow panel having aself-contained vertical supply column, a horizontal supply headertraversing the column and in uncontrolled communication therewith,hollow convector units arranged be'- hind the panel in spaced relationand communicating at their tops with said supply header, an adjustableoricing tube rotatable in the header controlling supply to the convectorunits independently of the radiator, and a return header connecting withthe bottom of said panel and said convector units.

WALTER L. MAYNE.

CERTIFICATE, CE CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,519,698. may 18, I9LI5.

WALTER I.. MAINE.

It is hereby certified that error appears Ain the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5,second column, line 58,A claim l, for "flow" read floor; and that thesaid Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that thesame may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.'

signed and sealed this 29 th day of June, A. D. 19M.

. Henry` Van-V Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

